Whose child is this?

Yes, I'm a parent. And one of the worst things that could happen to any parent would be losing a child.
That is why so many become so frantic when there is the potentiality of some authority stepping in and taking custody  of a child. Whether it be the Department of Children and Families (or whatever variation there is to  be found in your state) or a divorce court or someone who has determined that you aren't taking care of your kids, the feeling is the same: what can I do to get my child back?
Now it is an open secret that the good people at whatever state agency are often overworked, understaffed and even underqualified to handle the many situations that show up at their doorstep.
'Nother words, they don't always get it right (That's an understatement, that is!) But they do try to preserve the family unit, to keep siblings together, to set up the foster care arrangement with an actual family member, to give the parents every avenue possible to recover custody with all due speed.
Trouble is, those kids might end up back in the same old mess, mark II. The abusive, neglectful, unhealthy environment that lead to the loss of custody to begin with sneaks back in past all those good intentions, only now mom and/or dad have learned how to cover up.
Yes, there are cases where the authorities come charging in like a bull elephant on Black Friday, or where it takes so much time to sort things out that the child is well grown before the parents get custody back. But this is the delicate balancing act, between the good of the child and the rights of the parent. Of course, we all  would put more emphasis on the welfare of the child, but that doesn't take into consideration the impact from losing a parent at any age. (Won't go into all the horror stories of fostercare.) And if we focus on the parental rights, what do we do when that parent is putting the child in harm's way?
No matter how carefully we try to do this, there is going to be some hurt, some loss, some guilt. There will be parents who try to avoid such situations by running away. There will be children who are scarred just by the process. And there are no easy answers.